Young men are giving women a run for their money as they climb the footwear ladder. A recent Mintel research showed that females aged 16-24 are twice as likely to have NOT purchased footwear in the last year compared to their male counterparts. The research points to casual and athleisurewear trends being the cause of the uprise in sales. While 86 percent of women are still more likely to purchase footwear than men (78 percent), a hefty 95 percent of British males aged 16-24 bought shoes last year – making them Britain's number one footwear buyers. The study also revealed that a third of 16-34 year olds like the idea of vegan footwear, and 40 percent Brits are interested in purchasing re-released iconic footwear. Sales of heels fall flat from 27 percent in 2017 to 22 percent in 2018. Women's footwear sales accounted for the greatest market share, but slipped from 50 percent in 2015 to 46 percent in 2017.
"Men’s footwear, particularly among younger age groups, is really fuelling growth in the footwear sector. In fact, our research shows that men aged 16-24 are more likely to be swayed by big brand names than women of the same age," explained Mintel retail analyst Chana Baram. "With trainers such a popular category for men as a whole, young men in particular are likely to respond positively to advertising campaigns by the big sports brands that feature their favourite male sports personalities."
